Self-adjusting wrench



Feb. 12, 1952 CARNELL] 2,585,090

SELF-ADJUSTING WRENCH Filed Sept. 24, 1948 2 SHEETSSHEET l,

INVENTOR. f/PA/vc/s J C'P/VELL/ Feb. 12, 1952 CARNEL'L, 2,585,090

SELF-ADJUSTING WRENCH Filed Sept. 24, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 i INVENTOR.1 @4/1 6/5 db/P/vau ATwP/va Patented Feb. 12, 1952 UNITED STES ICE Mypresent invention relates to a wrench, par--' ticularly to aself-adjusting pipe wrench capable of gripping pipes of differentdiameters within a limited range without adjustment.

The invention relates more particularly to a wrenchof the type havingajaw fixed at the end of a handle, and a swingingor rocking jaw whichcloses onto the fixed jaw when swung in one .direotion and which opensfrom it when swung in theopposite direction.

Wrenches of this type are designed to engage a pipeor cylindricalsurface when the swinging jaw is swung toward the fixed jaw to which itmay be urged by a spring.

Objects of my invention are to provide a wrench in which the fixed jawmay be swung in such a manner as to give a maximum range of closureswithout adjustment, but which may be adjusted to increase this range andalso which grips the pipeor cylindrical surface with greater certainty.

Another object of the invention is to provide a wrench inwhich a pipe orcylindrical surface may be gripped close to the opening edgesof the jawssothat a pipe may be engaged and turned even when it iscloselyadjacent awall or other obstruction.

The various features of the invention are illustrated; by wayof example,in the accompanying :drawingsin which e l-is a side view of a wrenchembodying a preferred form of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a view of part of the wrench taken from the right of Fig. l;

,Fig. 3 is a view similar to that of Fig. 1, parts of the wrenchbeingbroken away to show features of construction;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the wrench :taken on line 44 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the wrench taken on line ,55 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view ,of a spring;

Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are side views of the jaw end of the wrench showing themovable or swinging jaw in different positions of opening;

Fig. 10 is a similar View showing a wrench opened and adjusted to gripa-pipe or cylindrical surface near the outer ends of the jaws, as wouldbe :the casein turning a pipe closely adjacent a wall or otherobstruction.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive, the wrenchcomprises a handle I I havin at one end a fixed jaw [2. The jaw l2 maybe integral with the handle but, preferably, is a separate block of*hardened steelihaving a'wing '13 inserted into a slotin theupper end'ofthe 3 Claims. (Cl. 781-401 I 2 handle and pinned position by means of apin Hi fFig. 5).

Ehe jaw 12 projects forwardly of the frontline orside of the wrenchwhich is curved outwardly as at 5 to support the jaw block. The upper.or jaw surface-of the :block lz is serrated transversely with theserrations pointing slightly aforw'ardly". Immediately below the jaw l2and pro-' ject-i'ng from the opposite side-of the wrench handle is a boxor frame it having a transverse opening ll. The upper face of theopening is rounded convexly downwardly as at 1 8" to form a bearingsurface for the'co-llar of a movable jaw t9. Projecting irom the side ofthe wrench into the opening t? is a rounded fulcrum 2-0.

The frame i5 is provided-with a slot 21 extending longitudinally-of thehandle H and-flared forwardly into agroove 2-2 in the handle intersecting the-serrated jaw-face of the block :lZand also in an oppositedirection.

swinging jaw IS -is provided with-a Stem 23 extending through the'slot2! and also with a jaw 2-4 extending forwardly confronting-relation tothe hired jaw l-Z. The confronting Suiiace of the jaw-24is-s'erratedin-a direction op posite to the serrations of the jaw I2.

The stein- 23 of the swingingjaw l-9 has flat sidestdfi-t the side's-ofthe s1o't'2 l and hold the jaw squareiy -ag ain'st s'ide'sway' and isprovided with screw threads 2-5- in the forward and rear facesto receivean interiorly threaded collar or nut 26.

Thec'ollarie is encircled by the-frame;l6,- be-'- ing Iaccessibles'idewise of the frame and knurled as at 21 so that it maybe,rotated-by the an er and-thumb; z-leaf springfi-8 is confined betweenthe lower arm of the frame I 6, that is, the armf arthest'fro'm the jawIE2, and the lower surface .ofthe collar 26. The 'l'ower-end-of thespring is preferably re c 'eived in a re'cess-in-the=fram lfito'holditagainst slippage.

The spring; as shown moreparticularly 6;"has apair of armsfl'fl and '3']spaced to receive the stem -23 and is-bent reversel'y at #31 and 32 intoupwardly inclinedleng-ths -and -34, bent more sharply upwardly at 35 and36-436 more steeply inclirjie'd lengths 3 7 and -38 and then bentoppositely-M39 and 46 to substantially'horizontal lengths ll and 42 anda c'onnecting'pa'rt 4-3;

It will;be apparent-that the spring is' subs-tan: tially'free fromcontact-with-the collar-26' except at the length '41, 4-2 and 43',therefore exerting pressure only at-that part ofthe collarfar'thestfron'ri the handle attheleit.

The action of the spring 28 is to rock the fixed jaw counter-clockwisetoward closed position. This is a position somewhat more to the rightthan that shown in Fig. 7. The extreme forward inclination of the faceof groove 22 permits the jaw to swing to its extreme forward positionwith the front end of the movable jaw overhanging the fixed jaw. Thespring not only presses the collar 26 upwardly against the convexbearing surface I8 but also presses it forwardly against the roundedfulcrum 20.

When a pipe, such as a small diameter pipe 44, is brought upwardlyagainst the movable jaw surface it rotates the movable jaw clockwise andenters the space between the jaw, the spring 28, however, continues topress the swinging jaw counter-clockwise so that it engages the pipe 44with a resilient pressure.

When the jaw handleis swung clockwise the serrations of the movable jawengage the pipe as at 45 as a fulcrum and thereupon the handle swings onthe convex bearing surface 18 in a direction to close more tightly onthe pipe. The movement is, however, not one purely of pivoting orswinging, for the tendency is for the collar to rock forwardly on thecurved bearing surface. This forward rocking is opposed, however, by therounded fulcrum 20 which limits the forward movement of the collar.Consequently the collar slides on the convex bearing surface and therounded fulcrum 20 slides slightly upwardly on the side surface of thecollar. This changes the direction in which the fixed jaw I2 approachesthe movable jaw 24 to cause the serrations to bite into the pipe ratherthan to slide tangentially. Further swinging of the handle will, ofcourse, turn the pipe. Reverse movement releases the jaws so that theycan be moved backward to obtain a fresh grip on a different part of thepipe.

As indicated in Fig. 8 the movable jaw may swing farther apart to grip alarger pipe 45 as, for example, a collar or nipple threaded onto a pipeof smaller dimension. It may swing still further to the open positionshown in Fig. 9 to engage a still larger pipe 46, all without adjustmentof the collar.

It may be noted as the jaws swing farther apart the collar 26 rocksforwardly on the surface l8 bringing the point of contact closer in linewith the pipe and providing a more powerful leverage of the arm on thepipe. It will be understood that by turning the collar 26 the stem 23may be threaded upwardly to separate the jaws even when the swinging jawis at its farthermost or closed position. 7

As shown in Fig. the collar 26 and stem 23 may be adjusted to grip apipe such as pipe 41 of any desired diameter at the very foremost edgesof the jaws so that a pipe closely adjacent a wall may be securelygripped by swinging the arm of the wrench forward and backward for ashort distance and a ratcheting effect is obtained, whereby the pipe maybe turned in short successive angles with the relatively small movementof the wrench handle to which it may be limited due to the closeness ofadjacent surfaces, such as a wall.

Through the above invention I have, therefore, provided a self-adjustingwrench which permits the maximum self adjustment to different dimensionsof pipes and to different positions of the pipe while permitting alsothe range of these pipe sizes to be adjusted. At the same time themovement, or relative movement, of the jaws is such that when theyengage a pipe and pressure is applied, the serrations of the jaws areforced inwardly into the pipe rather than being swung sidewise. Thisinsures a firm gripping of the pipe and avoids any tendency towardshoving away the surface of the pipe by the serrated edges andconsequent slippage of the wrench.

The relationship of the convex bearing surface and the rounded fulcrumtogether with the spring arranged to give pressure at the rim of thecollar farthest from the rounded fulcrum enables the swinging jaw tomove smoothly and with certainty to attain the above ends.

The wrench is also of simple construction and may be easily disassembledfor repair or replacement of parts. Thus when the collar is threadedpast the lower end of the stem 23, the stem may be removed upwardly fromthe slot of the frame. The collar is held in place by the spring 28which, for this purpose, is secured in a recess in the lower arm of theframe. However the pressure of the spring does not prevent the collarbeing swung sidewise out of the frame so that the spring can then beremoved.

When the nut 26 is screwed onto the stem or tail 25 so as to bring thejaws 24 and I2 into contact, the jaw l9 may be swung to accommodate anumber of pipes of varying small diameters merely by pressing in the endof the stem or tail 25. Also the wrench may be released from grippingposition by pressing in the end of the stem or tail 25. By pressing inthe end of the stem or tail 25 of the swinging jaw I9 the jaws may beset to grip a pipe in different positions or distances from the open endof the jaw.

What I claim is:

l. A wrench which comprises a handle having at its upper end a fixed jawhaving a serrated jaw face, said handle having a fixed frame projectingrearwardly therefrom and spaced below said jaw face, said frame beingslotted vertically and from side to side so as to form transverselyspaced windows, the lower surfaces of upper portions of said framewindows having downwardly convex formations, said handle havingtransversely spaced protuberance extending rearwardly into said framewindows, a movable jaw having a jaw face opposed to the jaw face of saidfixed jaw and having a stem extending downwardly through the verticalslot in said frame, a collar mounted within said slot and on said stem,said collar extending into said windows and having an upper surfacebearing against and slidable on said convex formations and a springbetween said collar and bottom portions of said frame windows to presssaid collar against said convex bearing surface and against saidprotuberances.

2. The wrench of claim 1 in which said vertical slot is flared tointersect the serrated jaw surface of said fixed jaw.

3. The wrench of claim 1 in which said bottom portions of said framewindows are recessed downwardly to receive said spring.

FRANCIS J. CARNELLI.

REFERENCES CITED The'following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 203,261 Glynn May 7, 1878 637,562Anderholm Oct. 19, 1909 1,565,338 Thewes Dec. 15, 1925 1,778,748 BayrerOct. 21, 1930 1,835,465 Carnelli Dec. 8, 1931

